Meanwhile, back in the village
by mageofmip
Summary: Belle can't be the only one in her village with a story. Based on my made-up character from my schools production of beauty and the beast.


So, I'm in my school's production of Beauty and the Beast and as an activity, the director gave us homework. That was to write a character analysis of our role, even if it was a nameless vilager or object. Antoinette is what I came up with. all the usually nameless villagers and objects that are given names are people from the schools cast and will have the personalities they give to them. This goes for any character, really. They are not based off the broadway actors or the movie characters, they are based off my school mates and friends. so don't think of LeFou as a short man like he is in the movie, but the normal size for an 18-20 year old. Maybe a bit shorter. But at the same time, keep your basic image of him the same, he's not too bright, he scrawny, and simply doesn't compare to Gaston.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the long introduction. Get on with the story, if you're still awake. Reviews are much appreciated.

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The rising sun cast a shadowed pink glow about the small room. A crack between the thin, red curtain and the window allowed bright morning light to stream into the room. And it was in just the right spot to hit her in the face and disturb her sleep.

Yawning, Antoinette Marcoux sat up in bed. It was daybreak, much to early for a single, orphaned young women to bother being awake. Antoinette was 18 years old and had been living on her own since her parents were killed by stray bullets from a hunter on a trek to visit another town. She'd been living on her own for 3 years.

Antoinette turned her head to glare at the opening in the window. It woke her up nearly every day. She sighed as she got up. She shuffled out to the stone well in the back of her house and sat on the side of it, grabbing the rope, and pulling the bucket up, resting it besides her. She splashed the water on her face and stared off towards the edge of the forest. Too late for deer, too early for anything else. There weren't even any birds singing yet. But it was going to be a beautiful day. A day of firsts, perhaps. Anny had a good feeling.

She tramped back in the house and sat down at her table. She stared around at her simple kitchen. She was used to it, she'd never known anything more extravagant. Unless the town's small church counted. But, as far as she knew, that's how churches were supposed to be. Exhaling once again, she grabbed a piece of bread and smothered it with jam, nibbling on it as she made her way back to her room. She stood in front of her shabby wooden wardrobe and stared at the dresses within. She didn't have many choices, but there were probably more dresses in her closet than most of the other men and women in her town. Three belonged to her late mother, one of which was a wedding and church dress. The other five were hers. She enjoyed sewing and made her own clothes, and she was in the process of making another dress. This was how she'd kept herself alive since her parents had died, making and selling clothes.

She choose a worn green dress from the middle of the wardrobe, it was her favorite. It had no sentimental value, but it was comfortable. She took a white pair of shoes from the bottom and shut the doors. She pulled her slip on and tied it and then brought her dress over her head. She twisted the darker green strands of fabric on her right hip into a bow and did the same with the black strings on the corset-like front of her dress.

Slipping over to her vanity, which was in worse condition than her wardrobe, she picked up ribbon she'd made out of spare fabric left over from the dress she was wearing and used it to tie her hair back. Slipping her shoes on, she headed back out towards her well, passing it by and heading out to her chicken coop. it only housed three chickens, but the eggs were only being produced for her, so it was more than enough. She sat on the fence around the coop and once again stared at the forest. She could hear birds now, and it all seemed peaceful. The rest of the village was still asleep, it seemed.

"Still too early for everyone else, I guess…" Anny muttered. She was proved wrong a moment later when a gunshot pierced the air, causing her to jump and fall from her perch while many birds in the trees flew away, chirping wildly. "Well so much for that."

"Oh no, oh no, oh no! Ho, Gaston's gonna kill me!" Anny looked up. She knew the voice, anyone in the village would recognize it. LeFou, her neighbor and lackey to the best hunter in the village, Gaston, was running towards the forest, a bag in his hand. Anny watched him go, watched him fall flat on his face, get up, and keep running, all in one swift motion. She shook her head. He was probably the dumbest person in the village but far from deserving of the title 'village idiot'. She didn't see why he stood by his abusive master figure. Everyone else thought LeFou was only good for making Gaston look better but Anny was certain none of them had ever had a conversation with him. He had a brain, and potential, not that anyone in this town cared about that or had the courage or ability to act on it.

Poor guy. LeFou hated the woods. She just hoped Gaston kept his gun aimed at the animals. LeFou was one of the only people she cared to talk to in her village. Speaking of which, everyone else should be waking up about now. "No use in staying home, I suppose," Anny thought to herself. "I need fabric and fish anyway." And with that, she headed off to town


End file.
